For hundreds of years, the savviest businesses have hired others to shape the way they are perceived by the world. To accomplish their commercial goals. To build and defend their reputations.To stand above the crowd.

We’re steeped in this heritage.

Communications Advisors. Stand Above.

Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, hired to drum up support for WWI Liberty Bonds, draw tens of thousands to Wall Street. (1918)

About us

Baretz+Brunelle is a strategic communications and digital marketing agency. We help businesses in the legal and financial industries Stand Above. Our clients are elite law firms. Top financial advisors. Well-known corporations. Technology innovators. Business pioneers. Our mission is to help them be more respected, trusted and remembered. We have been named the “Best PR Firm in the U.S. for Law Firms” by The National Law Journal, the “Best PR Firm for Law Firms” by The New York Law Journal, the “Best Crisis Management Firm” by Legal Times, and a “Leading PR Firm for Hedge Funds” by Hedge Fund Alert. Using a variety of innovative tactics tied directly to business strategy, we help our clients break through the clutter to showcase their expertise, demonstrate their value and influence their markets. For nearly 20 years, we have helped our clients build brands, announce mergers and other transactions, raise the profile of practice groups and top rainmakers, launch new practices, promote new office openings, provide litigation support, protect reputations and navigate crises. Above all else, we are laser-focused on developing creative strategies that achieve business goals.

Our people

Spencer Baretz

Founding Partner

Spencer Baretz

Founding Partner

A counselor to many of the world’s most respected lawyers, financial professionals and business consultants, Spencer has also executed the PR efforts for many of the most high-profile, high-stakes litigation matters of our time.

One of 2015’s “PR Executives of the Year” – PR News Magazine.

A “Legal Business Trailblazer” – The National Law Journal.

Communications opinions cited by The New York Times and other leading media.

Corporate lawyer, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, New York.

Law clerk to Hon. I. Leo Glasser, one of New York’s most respected federal judges.

Graduate of Boston University, cum laude, and Hofstra University School of Law.

Published in the Hofstra Law Review.

One of Lawdragon’s 2016 “100 Leading Legal Consultants and Strategists”

Cari Brunelle

Cari Brunelle

Founding Partner

An advisor to law firm leaders and CEOs who regularly rely on her judgment in high-stakes matters, Cari is widely known for guiding the country’s top 100 law firms and corporate clients through their most high-profile news events, such as mergers, new hires, departures, government investigations and “bet the company” matters.

“Crisis Manager of the Year” – PR News Magazine.

One of the “Top Women in PR” – PR News Magazine.

One of Lawdragon’s 2008 “Top Legal Consultants You Need to Know”

One of Lawdragon’s 2016 “100 Leading Legal Consultants and Strategists”

Sought-after national speaker on legal PR issues and crisis communications.

Emmy-nominated PBS documentary producer.

Spokesperson for a state agency and two universities and their teaching hospitals.

Kenneth Gary

Kenneth Gary

Partner

For more than a decade, including his time directing business operations at the legal industry’s most influential media organization, Ken has delivered creative, results-oriented advice to law firms and industry vendors on how best to position themselves and influence their markets.

Board member at Law360 legal industry editorial advisory board.

Vice president and group publisher at American Lawyer Media, overseeing business operations of several of its marquee publications.

Longtime advisor to law firms and legal technology companies on market positioning, differentiation and optimizing their marketing efforts.

A senior leader in ALM’s LegalTech conferences and experienced in digital strategy and creation of numerous ALM new media products.

Chief marketing and business development officer at OmniVere, a nationally- recognized legal technology and consulting service provider.

Managing editor at Thomson Reuters.

Graduate of the University of Colorado; American University, Washington College of Law; and completed significant coursework at Georgetown Law Center.

Jason Milch

Jason Milch

Partner

Throughout his career Jason has consistently earned a place at the table as a trusted advisor to many of the world’s most prominent legal, consulting and financial services firms, developing strategic communications campaigns tailored to their specific business goals.

15 years of agency PR experience.

A regular speaker and writer on crisis communications issues.

Began in strategic communications with The Ohio State University Athletic Department, coordinating PR for a number of the school’s teams.

Amy Hanan

Amy Hanan

Chief Digital Officer

Specializes in tech-enabled marketing initiatives, drawing on her extensive experience in multichannel product, brand, lifecycle and demand-generation marketing that tell a compelling story and drive results.

Built a marketing technology infrastructure, team and strategy from the ground up for a financial media and technology startup. During her nearly two-year tenure, company revenue grew organically by more than $10 million.

Successfully led the brand integration of four acquired companies within 18 months at ALM Media, while also directing a creative services team that managed approximately 2,500 projects annually.

Graduate of Everwise leadership program and mentor for emerging marketing leaders across industries.

Anthony Tramontana

Anthony Tramontana

Chief Financial Officer

A CPA and finance executive with more than 20 years’ experience in the advertising and corporate communications industry, Anthony has held executive positions at several publicly owned agencies, playing instrumental roles creating operational efficiencies and increasing profitability.

Nicole Rodgers Houston

Nicole Rodgers Houston

Managing Director

Nicole is a legal marketing veteran with more than 20 years of experience managing the marketing, PR and business development efforts for some of the world’s most prestigious law firms. She has helped lead the communications efforts behind many high-profile law firm mergers, office openings and lateral hires. She leads Baretz+Brunelle’s Washington, D.C. office.

Wayne Pollock

Wayne Pollock

Director

Wayne is an attorney with a public relations background who has extensive experience working on high-stakes, high-profile investigations and lawsuits, many of which have been the subject of intense local, national, and international press coverage.

Founded a boutique law firm which helps other attorneys and clients make those clients’ cases in the Court of Public Opinion.

Senior litigation associate at Dechert LLP.

Senior Account Executive in the public relations division of a one-time Advertising Age 100 marketing communications firm.

Graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, magna cum laude, and Georgetown University Law Center (where he was Senior Special Projects editor for The Georgetown Law Journal).

Pro Bono Work

We are passionate about our work and appreciate how privileged we are to be doing it. That’s why we are equally passionate about giving back to the communities and causes important to us.

As with all our client relationships, B+B devotes its energies to pro bono partners:

Whose missions are meaningful to our team members;

Who we are committed to supporting on a long-term basis; and

Whose goals we can advance significantly through our work.

We are proud that since our launch, B+B has contributed more than 1,000 hours and the equivalent of $400,000 in services to pro bono projects. The nonprofit organizations we support with our time and resources include the following: